Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe chaired his Zanu-PF party’s Politiburo meeting Wednesday ahead of the official opening of its 13th annual National People's Conference in the Midlands city of Gweru on Friday.

Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa told VOA some of the issues on the agenda include a Central Committee annual report detailing the activities of the party and the potentially divisive matter of the criteria for choosing Members of Parliament.

The Politiburo was also deliberating on the state of the unity government, the constitution-making process and strategies for elections expected to take place next year.

The Politburo received reports from the party's national political commissar, Webster Shamu, on the recent elections of provincial chairpersons in Matabeleland North and Bulawayo.

Authoritative Zanu PF sources said the party cited factionalism for various problems in Masvingo region.

Its Central Committee is meeting Thursday before deliberations move to the controversial Chinese-built multi-million dollar conference centre in Gweru.

Zanu PF Youth League secretary for external affairs Tongai Kasukuwere told VOA that the youth are backing President Mugabe, 88, to remain at the helm of the party and to contest as their presidential candidate in elections expected next year despite his advanced age.

Political analyst John Makumbe, who has expressed interest in contesting in elections on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party ticket, said the conference is "much ado about nothing" as the party is not willing to discuss Mr Mugabe's succession.